Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-05
REVIEW OF THE SESSION.
ALL PREVIOUS CONGRESSIONAL
RECORDS ECLIPSED.

Most Prominent Measures Which Were
Enacted Into Laws.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The Congress
| which ended its existence at noon to-day
has afforded q striking illustration of the
constant increase in the volume Of legis-
lation demanding the attention of Con-
gress which has been going on for the la st
three or more Congresses. More bills
were introduced In both houses, more
committee reports made, more
bills passed, more became laws,
| and more were vetoed than
ever before. Most OF these measures
were OF a comparatively unimportant
nature, sucn as bills granting private
pensions and special relief, authorizing
the erection OF bridges, granting right OF
way and the like. But many. not only of
the bills and reports presented, but or
the laws enacted, were Of general In
tersst and Importance. A number of the
bills enacted into laws were old and
familiar claimants for legislative favor.
In this category belong the Presidential
succession bill, the electoral count bill,
the interstate commerce bill. and the bill
for the relief of Fitz-Jo ohm Porter.
LENGTH OF THE SESSION,
its session on Dec. 4, 1885, and was in
session until Aug. 5, when it adjourned
until Dec. 6, and continued in session
until its close day, covering a total
period of ten months and twenty-six days.
OF this time the Senate was in session
224 days and the House 251 days. There
were introduced in the House during this
time l 1,25S bills and 263 joint resolutions,
on which over 5000 reports were made,
| hnfp Nd ,a
| over thousand more reports than were
made in the Forty-eighth Congress,
which had IN its turn beaten the record.
THE sENATE's woRK.e
In the Senate there were introduced
1857 bills and 11S joint resolutions, on
which 1888 written reports were made,
| being upward OF 500 more bills and over
| 400 more reports than in the record,
| breaking the FOrGy-eighth Congress. The
total number of laws enacted was (ap-
| prOXimated) 1,43l, of which 1,083 0rigina-
ted in the House and 33S in the Sen ate.
| OF these 264 became laws by the expira~
tion of the constitutional ten days AmiJa-
ton, 80 bills failed to become laws owing
to the adjournment of Congress- of
them at the close of the first session.
There were 132 bills vetoed by the Presi-
dent, or II more instances of the eXer-
else of the Presidential prerogatiye
of veto than had occurred from the
foundation of the government down to
the beginning of this Congress. OF the
vetoed bills nInety-three originated in the
House and thirty-nine in the Senate.
But one private bill, that granting pen
| sion TO Joseph RomIser, and one public
bill, that providing for the erection OF a
| government building at Dayton, o., sue
| ceeded in passing both houses over the
Presidents veto, although several others
obtained the requisite two-thIrds vote in
the Senate, only to fail in the House.
FEATURES OF THE CLOSE.
| Two features of the closing hours of the
| Forty-ninth Congress are conspicuously
| noteworthy. While more than the usual
degree OF asperIty was developed by the
clash Of opposing interests during the
protracted and wearying sessions of the
past few days, the general department OF
the members OF both houses, and of the
| throngs which came to witness the pro-
! ceedings, was never more exemplary or
| orderly. On the other hand, never since
| Congress had an existence has there been
such uncertainty, such hurly-burly,
such general disregard Of parliamentary
safeguards in the transaction of import
ant business as have characterized the
| proceedings of yesterday, last night and
to-day. In the nature of things the con-
|
about the Senate than at the other end of
the capitol, for it was the Senate which
| was called upon to attempt the perform
anoe of half a. sessions work within the
limits OF week.
SOME sTARTLERS.
| Some things occurred during the last
| hours which, from parliamentary point
| of view, we're rather startling. One bill
| went to the Senate from the House, nomi-
nally with amendments, but actually
with none, the purpose being, it is as
sumed, to get it back without any tor
mality and have the missing matter in
serted into the document already certified
to as being correct.
An appropriation bill--the legislative
was sought by Senators upon the Secre-
tary's desk, where it was supposed to be
awaiting their inspection, but 1t was
| found to have been Informally borrowed
| by House officials for the purpose of COM
| pleting the work they had not been
| afforded time to perform earlier.
| Another appropriation bill was reported
| directly from the subcommittee to the
/ Senate with only pretense OF having been
referred TO the full committee, and some
| of the committee first learned the features
of the measure they were supposed to
have sat upon in deliberation when 1t
was taken up for discussion by the SEM
ate.
RACES AGAINST TIME.
Two Of the regular appropriation bills
| were completed in conference this morn
ing, and then ensued race between time
| and the tagged out enrolling clerks. In
| but one case did the clerks win, and for
that thanks are due 10 the venerable
Capt. Bassett, who, as the hour ap-
preached, armed himself with gas
| lighter as he has done biennially for a
quarter OF century,, mounted chair
and pulled back the hands of the Senate
clock One OF the bills--the deficiency
tailed for the reason that there was a
limit 10 the speed and endurance OF cler-
cal fingers. IL may be that errors have
been made--it will be marvellous indeed
| II they have not--though none have come
to light.
THE DEATH ROLL.
| The death roll OF this Congress was an
extraordinary one, comprising the un-
precedented number OF thirteen names
| in the House and Senate. They are those
| of Vice President Hendricks, President
| of the Senate; senators Miller, of Califor-
MIA; Pike, OF New Hampshire; Logan, OF
Illinois, and Representatives Hahn, OF
Louisiana; Arnot, Beach and Dowdney,
of New York; Price, OF Wisconsin,; Cole,
OF Maryland; Elwood, Of Illinois; Dun
can, OF Pennsylvania, and Rankin, OF
| Wisconsin.
But one election case was decided by
the House against the sitting member,